The scale of losses and the economic fallout from the global credit crunch may not be as bad as feared and subprime losses could end up costing less than half market forecasts, the Bank of England said on Thursday. The central bank is still concerned about the consequences of the credit crisis but Deputy Governor John Gieve said conditions could stabilise soon.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, his popularity plunging and his reputation for economic competence under fire, faced his first electoral test on Thursday since taking over from Tony Blair in June. The local council seats up for grabs in England and Wales, alongside a high-profile clash to pick the next mayor of London, were last contested in 2004.
Didier Drogba sent Chelsea to their first Champions League final and got revenge on Rafa Benitez as his double strike clinched a 3-2 win against Liverpool in Wednesday’s semifinal second leg. Drogba had given Chelsea the lead in the first half at Stamford Bridge before Fernando Torres sent the tie into extra-time.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez stoked up a row over Didier Drogba’s theatrics after refusing to retract his claims that the Chelsea striker is a diver. Benitez angered Chelsea boss Avram Grant by revealing he showed his defenders a video dossier of Drogba exaggerating fouls before last week’s Champions League semifinal first leg.
They work under the cover of night, armed with seed bombs, chemical weapons and pitchforks. Their tactics are anarchistic, their attitude revolutionary. Their aim: to beautify. An army of self-styled Guerrilla Gardeners is growing across the world, fighting to transform urban wastelands into horticultural havens.
A stunning goal from Paul Scholes gave Manchester United a 1-0 win over Barcelona on Tuesday to set up an all-English Champions League final against either Liverpool or Chelsea in Moscow next month. Scholes was suspended for United’s epic victory over Bayern Munich in the 1999 final, and Ferguson had already said he would play in the final if they qualified.
Britons are ruder than they were a decade ago, according to a survey on Monday that showed almost three-quarters of people think manners should be taught at school. A third believes bad manners are the catalyst for much of the anti-social behaviour in Britain, the ITV poll found.
Gordon Brown said on Tuesday the government needs to send a message that cannabis is ”unacceptable,” increasing speculation he will decide to tighten drug laws. The British prime minister said he was particularly worried about the growing use of skunk cannabis, which he described as ”more lethal”.
Emmanuel Adebayor came off the bench to score a hat-trick as Arsenal thrashed already relegated Premier League basement side Derby County 6-2 at Pride Park on Monday. It was the second time this season the Gunners had inflicted a heavy defeat upon the Rams after their 5-0 win at the Emirates Stadium in September.
Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani said on Monday the governing body could lose credibility after the ”disgraceful” treatment of outgoing chief executive Malcolm Speed. Mani became the latest critic of the ICC board, which has come under fire after Speed was placed on paid leave on Friday.
Fernando Torres has been living a dream in the Champions League this season but the Liverpool striker wants one more fairy tale in his side’s semifinal second leg against Chelsea on Wednesday. Torres has made a big impact in his first Champions League campaign and his goals have been instrumental in Liverpool’s march to the brink of a third final in four seasons.
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard shrugged off mounting speculation about his future on Monday as he said his side had prepared for a penalty shoot-out ahead of their Champions League semifinal second-leg clash against Manchester United on Tuesday. The Catalan side held United to a goalless draw in last week’s first leg at the Nou Camp.
Oil hit a new record near a barrel on Monday, boosted by a string of bullish factors that include a United Kingdom refinery strike and disruptions to Nigeria’s output that highlight the market’s anxieties over threats to supply. Prices held firm below earlier highs, despite a rally in the US dollar versus the euro and yen.
Millions of the world’s poorest children are among the principal victims of climate change caused by the rich developed world, a United Nations report said on Tuesday, calling for urgent action. The Unicef report Our Climate, Our Children, Our Responsibility measured action on targets set in the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Alex Ferguson has promised a more ambitious approach from his Manchester United side in Tuesday’s Champions League semifinal second leg at home to Barcelona. Ferguson told the media that ”the game now starts at Old Trafford — it’s the decider.”
Manchester United players have claimed that Chelsea ground staff were reponsible for provoking the row that marred the end of the Premier League showdown between the two teams on Saturday by insulting Patrice Evra. Chelsea won a tense encounter at Stamford Bridge 2-1 with a late penalty strike from Michael Ballack and it was minutes after the final whistle blew when the brawl erupted.
An English cricket club has banned its players from hitting sixes to avoid complaints from the neighbours, the <i>Sunday Telegraph</i> newspaper reported. Harrogate Cricket Club in Yorkshire, northern England, has told players they will automatically be given out if they loft the ball towards the surrounding houses.
Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-1 in a dramatic match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to pull level at the top of the Premier League and keep alive their hopes of snatching the title from United’s grasp. Michael Ballack was Chelsea’s scoring hero, deciding the game with an 86th-minute penalty after heading the home side ahead at the end of the first half.
Singer Amy Winehouse spent the night in custody after being arrested on suspicion of assault, police said on Saturday. The 24-year-old handed herself in at a police station in central London on Friday to face questioning by detectives. It was not clear when she will be questioned.
South Africa international striker Benni McCarthy has agreed a new three-year contract with Blackburn, Rovers manager Mark Hughes confirmed on Friday. The 30-year-old former Porto star, who has scored 11 goals this term, has now committed until the end of the 2010/11 season.
A stuntman was seriously injured in an accident on the Italian set of the latest James Bond movie, the production company said. It was the second accident in the last few days near Lake Garda, northern Italy, where scenes from the 22nd installment in the Bond franchise called Quantum of Solace are being shot.
Saturday’s showdown between Chelsea and Manchester United could well decide who wins the English Premiership title. It could also be a rehearsal for the Champions League final. United hold a three-point lead over the Blues in the league title race with two more matches to follow.
Found: drinking companions to join elderly gentleman for a friendly beer at his local pub. Mike Hammond was bombarded with offers after advertising in his village post office for someone to accompany his 88-year-old father, Jack, on visits to a southern England pub from a nursing home.
African National Congress leader Jacob Zuma said on Thursday it is not yet the time to impose an arms embargo on Zimbabwe in the wake of its undecided presidential election. ”I do not think we have reached the stage of an arms embargo in Zimbabwe,” Zuma told journalists during a visit to London.
Former British prime minister Tony Blair was left red-faced when he was caught travelling on a train without a ticket and said he had no cash to pay the fare, a report said on Wednesday. Blair was confronted by a ticket inspector as he travelled to Heathrow airport to catch a flight to the United States on Monday.
Ahead of talks in London with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, African National Congress leader Jacob Zuma on Wednesday refused to condemn Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe over the ongoing failure to publish presidential election results and widespread post-election violence.
Lonmin, the world’s third-biggest platinum producer, posted an 8,3% rise in second-quarter platinum sales on Wednesday, but again cut its full-year sales target following power problems in South Africa. Lonmin said refined platinum sales rose to 143 351 ounces in the three months to end-March from 132 345 ounces in the same period a year earlier.
Avram Grant believes Chelsea are in pole position to reach their first Champions League final after his side escaped with a fortunate 1-1 draw in the semifinal first leg against Liverpool. All his team have to do is maintain their impressive record at Stamford Bridge, where they are unbeaten for over two years, in next Wednesday’s second leg to reach May’s Moscow showpiece.
South Africa midfielder Steven Pienaar has agreed a permanent move to Everton, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday. The playmaker has impressed since moving from Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund on a season-long loan last summer, resulting in the Toffees agreeing to a three-year deal with the player.
Computer maker Hewlett-Packard sees Africa as one of its fastest-growing markets, it said on Tuesday, expecting the world’s poorest continent to rival India for IT outsourcing within a decade. Hewlett-Packard Africa MD Rainer Koch said its sales on the continent are rising by 25% year-on-year.
A ”silent tsunami” unleashed by costlier food threatens 100-million people, the United Nations said on Tuesday, but views differed as to how to stop it. The Asian Development Bank said there was enough food to go round, and the key was to help the poor afford it. It said Asian governments that have curbed food exports were overreacting.
Oil rose to a record high above on Tuesday, boosted by a jump in oil demand last month from China, the world’s second biggest energy consumer, and worries about supply from key producers Russia and Nigeria. United States light crude for May delivery was up 26 cents at ,74 a barrel by 10.05am GMT, after an all-time peak of .05.